Adjustable pliers are a good thing to have in any tool box. If you can find a good pair of self-adjusting pliers, even better. For plumbing work or for turning large bolts or nuts, the Husky WS-24-10 10” Self-Adjusting Groove Joint Pliers are a nice tool to have.
Home Depot bills these pliers as “water pump pliers” or a “specialty plumbing wrench,” but they can be useful for other applications too, including working on your car. The teeth are strong enough to use these pliers as a counterpoint to another pair of pliers for tightening or loosening stubborn nuts and bolts. They come with a lifetime warranty, which unless you use them every day, you’ll probably never need.
The self-adjusting action is pretty nice if you’ve never used self-adjusting pliers before. It uses a spring-loaded stopper, so you can easily use the pliers one-handed as they self-adjust. The self-adjustment only works for tightening the jaws, however -- for loosening the jaws, you’ve gotta do that yourself.
The pliers themselves are well-made. The jaws are curved and slightly offset, great for grabbing big bolts but not so great for grabbing little bolts or screws. Even bolts on a lawn mower are a stretch for these pliers, as the jaws are far enough apart that the pliers can easily slip off the bolt. On larger bolts, like hex bolts used in sink faucets, the pliers grab on and never slip.
Husky describes the handles as providing a “soft comfortable grip” -- very true. The handles feel good in your hand, and they provide a solid grip during use.
I give these self-adjusting pliers 4 out of 5 stars. Home Depot sells the WS-24-10 pliers in-store for about $10 (which may vary by region) and on HomeDepot.com for $10.97. For that price, they are a great value, and I would definitely recommend picking up a pair. Amazon.com doesn’t sell the pliers individually, but you can get a set of them -- one pair of 7” pliers and one pair of 10” pliers -- for $19.99 (eligible for free shipping).
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